Have A Good Summer: Memphis Grizzlies

There was one team eliminated from the playoffs this weekend as the Memphis Grizzlies were summarily swept away by the Oklahoma City Thunder. Here, we bid the Grizzlies adieu and take a look at some of the things that will define their offseason.

• This series was not close, not ever. The Grizzlies are several levels below the Thunder, which means they are several levels away from true contention in the Western Conference, because the Thunder are the bar now.
• How does that square with the roster situation? Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Desmond Bane is a trio that theoretically fits together perfectly given the blend of skills available. Morant attacks the paint with (often reckless) abandon and puts pressure on the rim. Bane bombs away from deep and works as a secondary playmaker. Jackson does as well but also now brings a physical post and isolation game centered around his shoulder-dip hook shot. Morant is a weak point-of-attack defender but can make plays in passing lanes and transition defense. Bane doesn't have the requisite length to be a stopper but he knows what he's doing and works hard on that end. Jackson is an elite rim protector and space eraser. It should all work, but this team has often seemed like less than the sum of its parts. So what gives? It's probably just that they're each individually not quite as good as the credit they get, or that they haven't been able to hit their respective ceilings at the same time. In Morant's case, it's been a while since we've seen the All-NBA guy. Bane is more of a fringe All-Star type. And Jackson is a "when he has an amazing year he'll be an All-Star and if a bunch of guys are ineligible he can make All-NBA" guy. They're all very good players, but three top-20 to 40 guys probably doesn't make you a real contender.
• Jackson is almost surely going to be eligible for the super-max extension, given the likelihood that he makes an All-NBA team. It would start in 2026-27, which would be the second-to-last year of Morant's current contract and right in the middle of Bane's. Financially, the Grizzlies can probably afford it, but they'd likely have to then say goodbye to one of the other two players soon after. That's just the reality of the current CBA, which isn't really built to sustain a three-max-salary roster. That means it's already decision time: Do the Grizz offer the deal and start the clock on Ja and/or Bane, or do they decline to offer it and really start the clock on JJJ? I'd lean toward giving him the deal, giving these guys more time together, and figuring things out later. They've all still yet to reach their primes, and I don't want to break them up before I have to unless a can't-miss deal is on the table, which is likely not how it'd go down if the Grizzlies didn't offer an extension.
• Scotty Pippen Jr. is legit good.

• I'm very intrigued to see what happens with Santi Aldama's restricted free agency. I've written about him several times this season and I think he's turned into a really nice player. Offensively, he can score in a variety of ways and work as anywhere from the third to fifth option when he's on the court due to his combination of shooting and activity, and his growth as an on-ball creator. But man he can also be super frustrating at times with his decision-making (crazy passes, stupid shots) and his lack of attention to detail on defense. The Grizz surely shouldn't let him leave for nothing in return (especially after seemingly trading Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia at least in part to create some more cap breathability this summer), but I'm interested to see how much money he actually gets.
• At least a couple times every Grizz game, I wonder what they'd look like had they drafted someone like Kel'el Ware instead of Zach Edey. It's not that Edey isn't any good or doesn't have his merits. He is a massive wall of a man, a great rebounder, a good screener, and an excellent shot blocker. But he struggles in space on defense and didn't fit the style of offense the team ran for most of the season. That said, there's a lot of upside if he can figure out the whole "defending in space" thing, which is arguably the second-most important thing a center can do after "defending the rim." We'll see what happens next year, depending on whom they hire as their head coach.
• Oh right, a new coach is coming in! Or maybe not! I kind of expect Tuomas Iisalo to get the job. Memphis aggressively went and pursued him last offseason to be Taylor Jenkins' top assistant, setting the stage for Jenkins' eventual departure. The Grizzlies then fired their coach with like nine games left in the season to promote Iisalo to the top of the bench. It feels like they wanted him to be their next head coach from the jump, but didn't want to get ahead of themselves by firing Jenkins before giving him another chance to work with the full team that wasn't an injury-riddled disaster fire like it was in 2023-24. If it's not Iisalo and the Grizz run a true search, I'll be very interested to see what type of coach they eventually settle on. Teams typically swing from one extreme to another when changing coaches, but it's really hard to picture this particular Memphis team being led by, like, an older, more experienced Michael Malone type. (Just pulling a name out of a hat there.) They've been young up-and-comers for so long that it seems like that's the only type of coach that fits the personality of the team. Then again, that is usually why teams typically swing from the extremes: they want to change the personality of the team. Definitely watching this situation closely.
• Come back soon, Brandon Clarke and Jaylen Wells.
• Luke Kennard is a free agent this offseason, so the Grizz are going to have to find a way to bring in another shooter, whether via free agency or the draft, unless he's willing to come back at a similar number. I do also wonder if we finally see some sort of consolidation trade here with all the back-end roster guys who can actually play that this organization seemingly prints on an assembly line. Jenkins liked to play deep into that depth, sending guys in and out of the rotation at different times, but things might not be the same with Iisalo or whomever else takes over that job.